Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 387 Warner's Vision

A week later, Warner Bros. held a grand premiere for "Superman Returns," attracting a star-studded audience, including Wu Yuchen, who brought his entourage to attend.

After the screening, Jessica Alba linked arms with Wu Yuchen and said, "Tonight's premiere was really exciting! I wonder what it will be like when 'Fantastic Four' is released!"

After nearly five months of filming, Jessica Alba has just finished shooting "Fantastic Four." The film still has a lot of special effects, and post-production will take a considerable amount of time, so it won't be released until next year.

Wu Yuchen smiled and said to Jessica Alba, "Whether the premiere is lively or not is not important; the box office is the key."

"Daddy, do you think Fantastic Four will do as much at the box office as Batman?" Jessica Alba asked with dreamy eyes.

Wu Yuchen chuckled: "Hehe, forget about 'Batman,' but maybe it'll be possible if it catches up with 'Superman Returns.'"

I just finished watching "Superman Returns," and it's pretty much the same as the one in the previous movie. Wu Yuchen thinks this movie is going to flop. "Fantastic Four" grossed 3.5 million in the previous movie, which is 4 million less than "Superman Returns." If the release date had been better and the promotion had been more effective, it might have actually surpassed it.

Jessica Alba hadn't really thought Fantastic Four could catch up with Batman, but when Wu Yuchen said it could rival Superman Returns, she immediately perked up, after all, it's a $2.6 million blockbuster: "Really?"

Wu Yuchen chuckled and gently rubbed Jessica Alba's slender waist: "That depends on how hard you put in the effort!"

Wu Yuchen was obviously referring to Jessica Alba's hard work in promoting the product, but the beautiful woman probably misunderstood. She straddled Wu Yuchen's lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and said with seductive eyes, "Daddy, you know I'm always the most hardworking!"

After saying that, she gave him a kiss, and her slender waist moved, causing the cars driving on Hollywood Boulevard to speed up a bit.

As expected, "Superman Returns" took the top spot at the box office this week during its opening weekend.

However, Warner Bros. was far from happy, as "Superman Returns" only grossed a paltry $5300 million in its opening weekend, half the box office of "Batman" during the same period!
Clearly, this Superman Returns campaign was unsuccessful; he was not well-received by the audience!
"Superman 'Return' fails to meet box office expectations!"

"Superman suffers a crushing defeat against Batman and Spider-Man; Wu Yuchen emerges victorious!"

Why did "Superman Returns" suffer such a major setback?

This has also caused internal disputes within Warner Music:

"Damn it! This is the project you've been planning for 10 years! A $2.6 million mega-production, and this is the result!"

"I told you long ago, we should hire big stars and big directors! Not some nobody soap opera lead and an independent film director!"

While the director of *Superman Returns* actually started out in independent films, he had successfully transitioned to directing the franchise, having directed the first two *X-Men* movies, which is why he was chosen to direct *Superman Returns*. However, with the project now clearly doomed to failure, it's no surprise that it's facing intense criticism.

"Stop! Immediately halt all plans related to the Superman series!"

"Phew, Wu is still the most reliable!"

Both are superhero films with immense popularity, but "The Batman" and "Superman Returns," released within a month of each other, have had completely different outcomes. The former, a massive production with a $2.6 million budget, can't even compare to "The Batman" in terms of profitability; it hasn't even recouped its costs yet. This further highlights the capabilities of director Wu Yuchen!
"For now, let's focus on Batman when it comes to developing the DC Comics universe."

"What about the proposal Wu put forward?"

"As long as he can guarantee the quality of the film, the location of the film is not a problem. The best time to release it is the year after next. Compared with the profit, increasing the production cost a little is not a big problem."

"Yes, I agree. Wu is quite reliable. Since he proposed the plan, he won't sacrifice the quality of the film. It's just a matter of building a studio in China. Besides, I heard that the cost of living there isn't high, so the production cost shouldn't increase too much."

“Agreed. I heard that Fox plans to release Cameron’s new movie Avatar in 2009 or 2010. I don’t know how much of his talent he has left, but what if it’s another Titanic? I don’t want the Batman sequel to clash with it.”

Although the truck driver hasn't made any big-budget productions in recent years, his legend continues to circulate, and no one underestimates him.

Right now, the truck driver being discussed is sitting with Wu Yuchen, exchanging ideas with great interest:

"Wow, Wu, the Zhangjiajie mountain scenery you recommended is absolutely amazing! My photographer sent me photos and videos, and he said that's definitely the Hallelujah Mountains we've been looking for. I'm planning to go to China next month!"

"Hehe, Cameron, China has many beautiful landscapes. If you go there this time, you can check them all out. Trust me, you definitely won't be disappointed!"

Filming for *Avatar* began last year, but Cameron had high standards, sending people around the world to scout locations for the film. At a banquet, Wu Yuchen recommended the Zhangjiajie mountains to Cameron, and it seems they certainly met his expectations.

Wu Yuchen felt that the Zhangjiajie government should give him an award certificate. When Zhangjiajie becomes a filming location for "Avatar", the impact on it will be enormous.

Currently, Zhangjiajie is only a mid-to-high-end tourist destination in China, lacking development and reputation. However, after the release of "Avatar," it instantly became a world-renowned tourist hotspot, consistently ranking among the top three destinations for tourists from Japan, South Korea, and other countries visiting China, with visitor numbers increasing several times over.

For a region whose finances rely heavily on tourism, this is an immense fortune!

"I'm really looking forward to this trip to China! Wu, will you be coming with me?" the truck driver asked with a smile.

Just as Wu Yuchen was about to answer, his phone rang. He gave Cameron a slightly apologetic look and then answered the call.

After hanging up the phone a moment later, Wu Yuchen said to Cameron, "Sorry, Cameron, it seems we can't travel together this time. Warner Bros. wants to start filming the Batman sequel as soon as possible, and I need to stay in Hollywood for a while longer. But I'll definitely find you the best tour guide~"

The truck driver looked slightly disappointed: "Okay. Wu, I have to say I sometimes really admire you; your creative drive is just too strong!"

Wu Yuchen laughed and said, "No, Cameron, it's you who's too lazy!"

"No, no, no, I'm not lazy, I'm just enjoying life!" the truck driver laughed heartily. The call Wu Yuchen had just answered was from Warner Bros., who essentially agreed to his proposal and wanted to discuss *The Dark Knight* with him to begin preparations as soon as possible.

Since preparations for the film were underway, Wu Yuchen couldn't just sit back and do nothing; he had to arrange the related work. The first thing to do was to finalize the main cast of the film.

The following day, Wu Yuchen sat down with the people from Warner.

“Wu, in fact, quite a few actors have expressed their interest in the role of the Joker to us. Robin Williams, Leigh Halmy, Paul Bettany, and Adrien Brody have all contacted us in different ways.”

When talking about "The Dark Knight", there is one character that cannot be ignored: the Joker!

Wu Yuchen had already completed the script for the Batman trilogy long ago. During previous promotional events, Warner Bros. also revealed that the villain in the second film would be the Joker. The Joker is a very complex character with a lot of room for development, and the huge success of the first Batman film attracted even more actors to the project.

Hearing these names, Wu Yuchen smiled. It was undeniable that the people mentioned were all good actors and talented performers, but he already had a suitable candidate in mind.

Wu Yuchen shook his head and said, "I already have a target for the Joker. If that doesn't work, I'll consider the people you mentioned."

The people present at Warner didn't question it, and nodded in agreement:

"Okay, we respect your choice. Wu, we have another idea, would you like to hear it?"

Wu Yuchen asked curiously, "What?"

Warner Bros. immediately suggested with great enthusiasm, "Could we ask Leonardo DiCaprio to play the role of Two-Face?"

Clearly, Warner Bros. is more interested in Leonardo DiCaprio than the Joker. DiCaprio is now a top-tier Hollywood star, the most popular and influential male celebrity in Hollywood, surpassing even Tom Cruise in this respect.

If they can get Leonardo DiCaprio to join the cast, the box office of "The Batman 2" will definitely be able to rise even higher than before!
Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen frowned and then asked, "Have you been in contact with Leonardo DiCaprio?"

Jeffrey and the other person exchanged a glance, then Jeffrey said, "Wu, it wasn't exactly formal contact. It was just that one of our senior executives discussed this with Leonardo at a banquet."

Fearing that Wu Yuchen might misunderstand, Jeffrey quickly added, "Believe me, the casting decision is still in your hands. This is just one possibility we believe in, a choice that might be more beneficial to the film's box office."

Wu Yuchen wasn't angry. Although he currently held the reins of "The Batman," Warner Bros. was, after all, the investor, and it was reasonable for them to want to use the top male actor currently in the industry.

Wu Yuchen didn't directly express his opinion, but instead asked, "So what does Leonardo mean?"

"He read the script and turned down the Joker role, but he was interested in Two-Face."

Hearing Jeffrey's words, Wu Yuchen smiled inwardly. It seems that Leonardo DiCaprio still cares a lot about his looks!

The Joker character basically has to have his face covered in paint, which would completely cover up his stunning good looks, and it would also go against his usual image as a handsome male protagonist.

In their previous life, Warner Bros. wanted Leonardo DiCaprio to star in "The Dark Knight," but the initial proposal was to replace the villain with the Riddler, because DiCaprio refused to play the Joker. However, this proposal ultimately fell through.

Leonardo DiCaprio has turned down the Joker role more than once. Besides "The Dark Knight," there was also the 2019 version of "Joker." Both of these are considered classic Joker films. The former won him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and the latter won him an Oscar for Best Actor. Both were roles that DiCaprio rejected.

Now, Warner Bros. has shown the script to Leonardo DiCaprio, and he still dislikes the Joker, but is more interested in the role of Two-Face. It's about an absolutely righteous policeman turning into a corrupt villain, which offers some room for him to develop his character.

However, Wu Yuchen still didn't express his opinion, but instead said, "Tell me, what other conditions does he have?"

"Um, he wants to increase Two-Face's screen time, ideally to make him equal to Batman..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen immediately scoffed, "Jeffrey, do you think that's possible?"

Jeffrey chuckled along, "Hehe, this might be a bit difficult, but since you're the director, Wu, perhaps..."

Wu Yuchen interrupted the other person directly: "There is no maybe! The script for 'The Dark Knight' has been finalized, and I cannot change it! There is no room for discussion on this matter; otherwise, there would be no need to make this film!"

Wu Yuchen understood perfectly what the other party hadn't yet said. To get Leonardo DiCaprio on the show, they'd add more screen time for Two-Face? What about the original plot? Batman's role as the male lead couldn't be reduced, so the only option was to cut the Joker's screen time to achieve the same effect of adding more screen time for Two-Face—but how was that possible?

The success of "The Dark Knight" is largely due to the Joker. Some even argue that the Joker's brilliance in the film overshadowed Batman's, and he has been hailed by many fans as the most iconic Joker of all time.

How could Wu Yuchen possibly agree to such a request? He had no problem with Leonardo DiCaprio, but he did have a problem with certain idiot executives at Warner Bros. who wanted to change the script on a whim! That's why he said those words without any politeness.

"Hey, Wu, calm down! We're just proposing an idea. If it can't be implemented, we completely respect your idea!" Jeffrey quickly reassured him, afraid that Wu Yuchen would really get angry and cause the project to be shelved.

Wu Yuchen exhaled, then looked at the other person and said:

“Jeffrey and Leonardo are great, but he can only add icing on the cake at most. I can accept that he's willing to play the role, but I can't give him extra screen time!”

Furthermore, since you want "The Dark Knight" to be filmed smoothly next year, then don't do anything to disrupt my plans. Now we should be of one mind and work together towards a common goal, instead of creating more difficulties for me!

Hearing Wu Yuchen's words, Jeffrey nodded quickly: "Understood, I will convey your meaning clearly."

(End of this chapter)